Used Toyota Tacoma for Sale

When trying to decide what the best used Toyota Tacoma for you is, there are several key factors to look at: the Tacoma generations, engine size and cab size.

Toyota Tacoma Generations: what you need to know before you buy used.

Starting in 2005 the truck grew considerably in size. If you’re looking for the smaller version of the Tacoma, filter years to include 2004 – 1995. If you prefer the bigger frame size, then be sure to look at 2005+.

Towing capacity – the smaller generation (1995-2004) of the Tacoma can only tow 5,000 pounds while the more recent generation can tow up to 6,500 pounds. Be sure to take this into consideration if you’re looking at towing a lot of heavy loads.

Interior – As is true with most cars and trucks, the interior quality of the more recent generation of the Tacoma is of higher quality and more luxurious than the earlier basic generation.

Tacoma Engines: 4 or 6 cylinder?

Unlike some other trucks in its class, the Toyota Tacoma has only two engine sizes: a 4-cylinder & a 6-cylinder.

If gas mileage is important to you, the 4 is the way to go. However, on the larger sized models the smaller engine makes the truck feel slow and sluggish. So if you’re looking for a more fun drive, be sure to pick up the V-6 engine. Be warned that it is more expensive however and can increase the vehicle cost by several thousand in some cases.

Tacoma Cab Size: Regular, Access or Double?

Since 2001, the Tacoma has had three cab sizes to choose from: regular, access and double. Prior to 2001, only the regular and access cabs were available.

The regular cab option for the Tacoma generally has a bench seat in the front. The max passengers it can carry are 2 (plus the driver).

Both the access and double cabs can hold four persons, with the double cab providing extra doors and a roomier back seat. This is definitely the way to go if you plan on having more than one passenger in your truck on a regular basis – especially for the older generation where the back seat is fairly cramped with the smaller frame.

Used Toyota Camry Pricing: how to know you’re getting a good deal?

One of the most difficult to understand aspects of buying a used car is if you are getting a good deal or not. To help with that, CarsDirect has helpful pricing graphs over in our car buying section. Simply select the year you are looking for and go to the Prices & Deals page. Here you can see inventory by model year, price by model year and more.

Of note, the average Tacoma price drops nearly $2,500 when looking at a 2004 model vs 2005 – the year the generation switched. So if you’re looking to save some dough and don’t mind the smaller model (or even prefer it) and a little extra mileage, this might be the way to go.

Additionally the Used Toyota Tacoma’s hold their market value incredibly well. Take for example the 2000 Tacoma – the original base MSRP for a V6 PreRunner was $17,968. 13 years later, the same car is still reselling at Dealer Retail for $8,200.